MEET STATS: 11 - 42 / $57.00 (-$27.00) BEST BETS: 2 - 4 / $9.20 (+$1.20) SPOT PLAYS: 0 - 4 / $0.00 (-$8.00) BEST BET - NAUTICAL HANOVER (7th) SPOT PLAY - HEART OF DIXIE (9th) Race 1 - F&M Winners of 3 but not more than 5 PM Races or 60000LT Pace (3) VIBRANCE finds what looks to be a softer class tonight than the $50,000 claimers she's been facing in her last two outings, and she was able to pick up a third on January 30 against those tougher rivals. (1) ULTIMATE SPEED is two-for-two locally since coming into Travis Alexander's barn and also tallied at Woodbine Mohawk Park prior to that. Add in that she drew post one again and has Yannick Gingras in the bike, and she'll get plenty of wagering attention. (4) EXCITING TIMES A steps up off a win over NW3 company last Wednesday. Her trainer is off to a hot start to the meet. [DRF HARNESS: Get Harness Eye PPs for this card] Race 2 - Stake Your Claim 15000CLM Pace (3) WILLIAM HANOVER has a usable angle in that he's a first time starter for trainer Izzy Estrada, which often turns a horse's fortunes around. Usually that strikes more often over at the Meadowlands, but hopefully it'll come through here. This horse also gets a driver switch to Gingras. (2) MAJESTIC KIWI N gained a couple of spots in the final quarter of his test a week ago and moves inside from post eight to the two-hole. (6) OURRHYTHMNBLUES N defeated $15,000 claiming foes at Yonkers back in early November and gets Jason Bartlett in the bike for the first time since that victory. Race 3 - Stake Your Claim 15000CLM Pace (6) LIBERTY N FREEDOM went on the bench following his start at Harrah's Philadelphia last September 8th. He had one solid-enough looking qualifier at Monticello and catches a beatable group here. Notice he was racing at higher claiming levels in Pennsylvania prior to being shut down. (4) NOB HILL FLASH drops out of the $20,000 claimers this week and gets to move in a couple notches on the starting gate, too. (2) MISTER SPOT A didn't fire a week ago but was claimed by Scott Di Domenico, who is off to a fast start in 2024 and gets a bit of post relief to go with it. George Brennan also goes in the bike. Race 4 - F&M NW3/29238LT / Maidens Drawn Inside Pace (2) BLANK CHEEK broke a week ago, but given how she finished out her mile and the wagering action she took, I think she was live. I'll hop aboard tonight and hope that she offers some value given the miscue. (3) SILKEN SMILE rebounded from a poor effort two weeks ago with a closing second-place result last Wednesday. She gets to partner with Gingras again. (5) BETTA WATCH OUT N was Bartlett's choice as she makes her U.S. debut tonight. She has two local qualifiers under her belt, with the second one a front-end win. Race 5 - Winners of 6 but not more than 10 PM Races or 125000LT Trot (1) CREATIVE VENTURE picked up a fifth-place finish in his first start of 2024 last Wednesday. I'm going to bet on him being sharper tonight as he'd been off since 12-21 coming into that test. (5) DIAMANTE TRIO IT is two-for-two to start her 5-year-old campaign and trainer Travis Alexander has been putting plenty of live horses on the track overall. (4) UNEVERGONNAGETHIS made an uncharacteristic break before the start a week ago but gained positions in the final quarter. I'll look for him to bounce right back and include. Race 6 - Stake Your Claim 15000CLM Pace (1) BUCKEYE EMERY doesn't have much form on his page other than a win at Monticello on 12-19 but drew the pole and switches to a catch driver in Jordan Stratton. Perhaps that will result in an improved performance with some value to go with it. (5) I'M J BEE N backed up his rallying second-place finish against $15,000 claimers on 1-24 with a victory a week ago. He was claimed by Paul Stafford out of that tilt. (3) BEN SOLO hit the board against what should be tougher rivals than this on January 23 and picked up a pair of victories over at Monticello before that. Race 7 - NW5677L5/12500CLM Pace (3) NAUTICAL HANOVER ships down from Canada into Pat Lachance's barn and gets to race at the bottom level. This horse shows facing way tougher company at Woodbine Mohawk Park and should be tough. (1) ON THE VIRG has a similar profile to stablemate Creative Venture back in race five as he's making his second start of the year after having a gap in his schedule coming into that try. He also gets to drop from the NW7500L5's to the NW5000L5's and adds Bartlett. (2) HYPNOTICDREAM was a rallying second in a NW7500L5 dash on January 29 and slides down a notch on the ladder tonight. Race 8 - Stake Your Claim 15000CLM Pace (1) MR KELLY shows a ninth at the Meadowlands and an eighth here in two starts for Per Engblom, but I have to think if he's going to wake up it'll come here from the pole and with the switch to this class. (2) SMOKIN BY N just missed by a nose in a $15,000 claimer a week ago and is another contender out of the Alexander barn on the program. (3) MAJOR DESIRE has hit the board in both of his appearances against $15,000 claiming company at Yonkers and gets post relief this week. He also teams up with Gingras again. Race 9 - NW5000L5/12500CLM Pace (8) HEART OF DIXIE drew post eight for the second straight time here but closed out his mile on 1-29 with a good final quarter and slides down from of the NW7500L5 class. I'll give him a shot. (1) ALWAYS ROCKIN has the post relief/class drop combo in this race and did pick up a victory on January 13 at Freehold. (3) ALEX TYE went a long ways on the front-end last Wednesday before ending up third. [DRF HARNESS: Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter] Race 10 - Winners of 3 but not more than 5 PM Races or 60000LT Trot (2) CHALLENGER raced in the Canadian Trotting Classic and New Jersey Classic finals last year at age 3 and was a rallying second in his debut for these connections at the Meadowlands on 1-27. He also makes his second start on Lasix. (5) INTERVIEW FRA A didn't threaten last time out at the Meadowlands but hit the board in both of his appearances prior to that. (6) CAL MILES N SHELL had a pretty good 3-year-old stakes campaign and picks up Stratton for his first effort of 2024. Race 11 - 20000CLM Pace (5) DANCE ON THE BEACH defeated $20,000 claiming foes at Harrah's Philadelphia on 12-17 and qualified well at Freehold on January 26. I'll give him top billing in his 9-year-old debut here. (3) PRESTIGE SEELSTER has four straight victories and is probably the one they'll have to beat again. He has new connections again after being claimed again a week ago. (1) STOP STARING faded after having to do the first-over work last week but was the favorite in that contest. He was claimed by Dennis Laterza and moves in from post seven to the pole position.